feels like | lando norris

4.

a/n: end of china gp weekend and beginning of miami weekend :))))) (also im pretending max fewtrell was at Miami)

April 2024

Lando was on the podium. Not only that, he beat a Red Bull. I guess I'm walking Miami with him.  Nando was my first interview and that was a pretty straightforward one. Oscar was next, and I was wondering what I could ask him that I didn't need to ask Lando.

"Hey Oscar! P8 in a race you were just hoping to stay in the points. I would say thats a good thing. Does this give you confidence in the car for slow speed circuits and turns?"

He unzipped his suit. TikTok is loving that. "Um, yea. I think Lando's position gives me even more confidence. We were hoping for points but a podium shows the car has improved. And I am happy with a p8 as I don't think I could've done much more today."

"It's also your first time here. What did you need to keep in mind to have a good race?" I shift my hand so my phone is back facing him.

"I think it was just preserving the tires. Turn 1 is pretty hard on them so. Still some things to improve but the car is great!"

"Great! Thank you, Oscar!"

By the time I was finishing Nico's interview, I saw the Red Bull drivers and Lando walk into the pen. Max came up to me first.

"Hey Max! Congrats on another race win! You seemed pretty in control today, except running over some debris at the end. What did you make of this race and result?"

"Yea, uh, the debris being there was not lovely. I had margin to make an error, but obviously I didn't want to have a puncture or anything. So I'll happily run over some debris if it means nothing else happens and I still win, haha!" He chuckled and grinned before his press officer called him over so I waited for Checo. I noticed eyes on me, so I looked past Max to Lando, who made eye contact with me, pointed at himself and then put up two fingers, with a smug grin. I rolled my eyes at him before glancing back to Checo walking up to me. After Checo's interview, Lando came up to me holding his water bottle. 

"Hey Amelia." 

"Hi Lando." I smile before looking down and looking at my notes. "So, p2. This is a track that you or the team didn't expect to do well on, but here you on the podium, beating a Red Bull. You finished about 6 seconds in front of the Red Bull of Sergio. Does this show McLaren has fixed the low-speed corner issues?" I look back up and smile at him. 

"P2." He smugly tilts his head and smirks. "Ummm, I'll say maybe. I'm honestly not sure how we even finished so high today. I placed bets with my engineer, Will, that we would get passed by the Ferrari's early into the race. But, hey, I won't question it if I'm on the podium." He drinks some water before looking back at me and smiling once again. 

"And Miami, where we are going to next, is a track that you guys don't expect to do well in again, so do you think you could do better than your expectations again, or no?"

"Honestly, I don't know. Uh, yea, I don't know. We also said that about this weekend so maybe it'll be fine. But, again, I don't know. We have updates coming so we'll see." Lando smiles before taking another sip of water. 

"Okay. Thank you Lando." I look down at the barrier where his fingers make a two again, and then a walking motion. The camera doesn't catch it, but I playfully glare at him before I wave bye to him. 

~~

When my interviews were over, I joined Will and Jack on the post-race show to interview Andrea Stella about the slow-speed improvements. But after all the chaos died down, I packed up my stuff from the hotel, and left for the airport.